Alannah Hopkin

Writer and journalist

Alannah

Alannah Hopkin has published two novels, A Joke Goes a Long Way in the Country and The Out-haul (Hamish Hamilton, London) and her non-fiction books include Eating Scenery: West Cork, the People & the Place (The Collins Press, Cork). Her stories have appeared in the London Magazine and the Cork Literary Review, among others. She has written guides to Ireland for Fodor’s, Insight and Berlitz, and also writes about her own travels abroad for magazines. She is currently a regular book reviewer for the Irish Examiner. She also works as an editorial consultant. She is a tutor on Poetry Ireland’s Writers in Schools scheme, and has led writing workshops for adults up to M.A. level. She is also working on a collection of stories, and a new novel set in west Cork, The Ballydevlin Hauntings.

What I do

Writing

I write books and short stories. My books are available from amazon.com and from The Collins Press. You can read some of my published stories by downloading them HERE

Criticism

I mainly review literary fiction, and also biography, letters and essays, usually related to writers or writing. I have a special interest in the short story, and in the work of Roberto Bolaño. I have been reviewing books for national newspapers in the UK and Ireland since 1987. I am currently reviewing for The Irish Examiner. Here are some RECENT PIECES.

Editorial

I write and update travel guides about Ireland for Fodor’s, Insight and Berlitz. I have an in-depth knowledge of what to do and see in Ireland. I have a special interest in the rural west and southwest including Connemara, the Burren, Killarney, the Ring of Kerry and west Cork. I also work as an editorial consultant. This ranges from assessing book proposals or submissions for publishers to preparing other people’s work for submission. FIND OUT MORE

Workshops

I run creative writing workshops for transition year students and 5th and 6th years. These are usually organised in advance through Poetry Ireland, but I can also work directly with schools on request. I teach adult writing courses for University College, Cork and for the Munster Literature Centre, among others, and help present and organise literary events.

Books

Books

EATING SCENERY

‘You can’t eat scenery’ is an old saying about the difficulty of making a living in beautiful but remote places. West Cork, from Kinsale to the Beara Peninsula and from the Atlantic to the Lee Valley is such a place.

SHIP OF SEVEN MURDERS

In June 1828, the Mary Russell sailed into Cork Harbour from the West Indies. Seven crewmen lay in the main saloon, brutally and inexplicably murdered by the captain.

THE OUT-HAUL

A few years ago I was introduced to a woman at a party in Kinsale, where I live. ‘I’m very interested to meet you,’ she said, ‘I hear you’ve written a novel about my husband.’

A JOKE GOES A LONG WAY IN THE COUNTRY

There is a certain librarian in Cork who, every time he sees my name on my ticket, says in a furtive whisper ‘You wrote A Joke Goes a Long Way in the Country!’, and winks...

INSIDE CORK

Travel guide to Cork city and county. Probably the most thorough guide to Cork City and County ever written, this was one of the first books from the Collins Press, now a major figure in Irish publishing.

THE LIVING LEGEND OF ST PATRICK

This book looks at the historical man and the evidence of his writings, the apocryphal legends, the myth and the process that led in the 18th century to his emergence as a symbol of Irish nationalism.

Events

UCC Creative Writing Course
I teach on this MA course, including a three-day workshop on ghost and horror stories: The Uncanny

Cork International Short Story FestivalCork International Short Story Festival starts on 16 Setember, 2014 with a reading by Richard Ford at Triskel Christchurch. See www.corkshortstory.net for details. As part of the festival, I will be one of the contributors to a live reading, Cork Culture Night Literary Miscellany at the Millennium Hall, Cork City Hall on Friday 19 September at 8.30pm, admission free.

Sunday Miscellany

My next contribution to this RTE programme, broadcast at 9.10 on Sundays, will be on air shortly as part of a Cork-themed special edition.

Literary Festivals
I have had a long association with the Kinsale Arts Festival which moves to September this year, and served on the committee for its first three years. I have also been involved with the Cork World Bookfest, hosted annually by Cork City Libraries in mid-April to mark Shakespeare’s birthday, the West Cork Literary Festival, based in Bantry as well as the Cork International Short Story Festival – see above, and see travel piece from the Oldie Magazine’s Go Away GB supplement on this website for more information.

Praise

I always welcome the opportunity to work with Alannah
for her professionalism, tact, diligence and ability to transform a script.
She can see straight to the heart of the matter and is insightful about
what is required to turn a script into a publishable prospect.

”

Paula Elmore, Editor, The Collins Press Guide Books

“

I have worked with Alannah on several Insight/Berlitz projects.
She is a pleasure to work with and has brought her wide knowledge of the
tourism business in Ireland, including hotels, restaurants, attractions,
outdoor activities and cultural life, to each project.

”

Tom Stainer, Senior Editor, Insight Guides/Berlitz Handbooks

“

Alannah has ably hosted and interviewed John Banville and Kevin Barry, among others. She has
an instinct for fielding audience responses and framing them to create an engaged, enjoyable
session that really opens up a sense of the books. With a writer’s insight, she creates
an atmosphere that gives fresh insight, and a sense of really knowing the authors on stage.